Finished projects, fun distractions

The Christmas present is finished and going in the post!



Only 3 more of these to make! (I was overly ambitious this past Christmas.)

And this is the latest from the jewellery course:



Simple, but I like it.

Meanwhile, I've been thoroughly distracted by the party going on over at Evening All Afternoon with Emily's discussion of Jiggery Pokery, a collection of double-dactyl poems. (See her post for an explanation of the poem's structure.)

Once I read a few of her examples, it was impossible not to start thinking of 6-syllable double-dactyl words (with the emphasis on first and fourth syllables: LA de de LA de de, like walzing)... and from there it's a slippery slope to writing one of my own. So, here you go.

The Rex

Thundery-blundery
King of the lizards he
Stomped through the Jurassic
Jungles of old

Wrecking and pillaging
Tyrannosaurically
Never prepared him for
Earth to grow cold.

A few upcoming projects:

• Get a UK driving licence
• Make summer travel plans
• Learn to play an instrument
• Read, read, read
• Knit, knit, knit
• Blog, blog, blog

What's distracting you these days?

International Poetry Attempt

I love seeing so many tributes to National Poetry Month floating about. In the spirit, I'm going to launch my own International Attempt to Remember Poetry Memorized Long Ago.

This is partly inspired by Emily at Evening All Afternoon and her tribute to Shel Silverstein, which brought to mind several old poetry fragments, two of which I think I owe to my grandmother.

They're 'vintage' --

By the shores of Gitchie Gumee
By the Shining Big Sea Water
Stood the wigwam of Nokomish
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomish

And --

In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree

I do remember my mother reading me poems from a big red book that I just loved! They had a very 1930s feel to them; let's see if I can remember any...

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat.

I fondly remember one about a potato and a leaf (?) dancing in a cellar. Oh--yes!

Down cellar said the cricket
Down cellar said the cricket
Down cellar said the cricket
I saw a ball last night.

We entertained a drift of leaves
We entertained... etc.
And then of snow and ice.

Another from my elementary school years (who chose THAT one to recite at the poetry festival? It was way over my head) --

Something there is that does not love a wall,
That sends the frozen ground-swells under it
Something something hmmm hmmm
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

This one was a long-time favorite and reveals what kind of little kid I was:

How happy is the little Stone
That rambles in the Road alone
And doesn't care about Careers
And Exigencies never fears

I was an unrepentant show-off and memorized this in its entirety at age 12:

Hamelin town's in Brunswick
By famous Hanover city.
The River Weser, deep and wide,
Washes its wall on the southern side
A pleasanter spot you never spied.

But when begins my ditty
Almost five hundred years ago,
To see the townsfolk suffer so,
From vermin, was a pity.

RATS! They fought the dogs and killed the cats...
(And it goes on for about 15 pages, not that I can remember it all...)

Whew!

I'm not including songs I memorized, for obvious reasons (The Complete Simon & Garfunkel Collection, anyone?); though I do think those 1960s rock ballads are some of the most powerful poetry I know. I spent high school curled up next to the record player with Peter Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Donovan, Cat Stevens, ABBA and Leonard Cohen feeding my anachronistic tendencies. (This was the mid-90s, you guys.)

Do you have fragments of poetry floating around in your head too? If you can complete, correct, name or attribute any of these poem fragments, be my guest!

How We Are Invaded

Snowdrops, crowds of them, all in white
Huddled, murmuring on street corners, behind trees
Stirring up unrest

Then hordes of daffodils crested the hills
Yellow ranks advancing toward the peaceful farmhouses
Trumpets blaring victory

We were overcome, until the bluebells
Snuck upon us in the night, and suddenly
The world was blue with their decorated uniforms

Our former conquerors withered and forgotten
We bowed allegiance to this new blue army
Vowed to think no more of pinks, reds, or oranges

So accustomed to fields, hills, roadsides of blue upon blue upon blue
We never thought to look up, above our nodding bluebelled heads

Where rhododendron bombs of purple, white, and red exploded in midair
Signaling a new regime.

Migrations

Wind-borne, in large flocks,
golds and greens of leaves flap past
in their own migrations

Seed

Helpless dandelion puff
Waving silver legs in the air
Stuck to wet cement

Haiku 2

Racing clouds sprinkling
Pink blossoms all over the sidewalk
I'm letting go

Haiku 1

Fearlessly rappelling
Off the ceiling, eight legs scramble
Toward my computer